(a) There is hereby created within the department an agricultural career technical education unit to assist school districts in the establishment and maintenance of educational programs established pursuant to this article.

(b) The staffing of the unit shall at all times be composed of an appropriate number of full-time employees, including the State Supervisor of Agricultural Career Technical Education and the Assistant State Supervisor of Agricultural Career Technical Education. The State Supervisor of Agricultural Career Technical Education shall, under the direction of the Superintendent, assume responsibility for the administration of the state program adopted under this article throughout the public school system as well as the articulation of the state program to the requirements and mandates of federally assisted career technical education. The Assistant State Supervisor of Agricultural Career Technical Education shall, under the direction of the State Supervisor of Agricultural Career Technical Education, assume responsibility for the coordination of the state program of agricultural career technical education adopted under this article and the coordination of the activities of student agricultural organizations and associations.

(c) (1) An appropriate number of employees of the department shall serve as regional program consultants in agricultural career technical education in a manner that ensures statewide coverage. Duties of a regional program consultant in agricultural career technical education include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(A) Providing technical assistance to school districts, including teachers, counselors, principals, superintendents, and others as needed to develop, maintain, and strengthen local agricultural programs.

(B) Assisting with the administration of local agricultural programs, including collecting information relating to program participation, interacting with and serving as a point of contact for local educational agencies, participating in regional or state meetings, and serving on committees and task forces, as assigned.

(C) Identifying, conducting, or overseeing professional development opportunities for teachers to improve teacher performance and better integrate agriculture into the curriculum.

(D) Organizing career technical student organization activities that promote leadership development for all pupils, including serving as a regional advisor for pupil officers.

(E) Acting as a liaison between the department, local educational agencies, postsecondary educational institutions, business and industry groups in agriculture-related fields, and other agencies providing agricultural education.

(2) Each regional program consultant shall be geographically located within the region for which the regional program consultant is assigned, and to the extent possible, geographically located in those areas most readily accessible to the school districts they assist.

(d) The department shall accomplish the staffing of the agricultural career technical education unit in compliance with this article by prioritizing the use of funding provided pursuant to the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) (Public Law 115-224) for this purpose and by reassigning priorities in staff assignments within the department in a manner that will not result in new costs to the state as a consequence.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 51, Sec. 40. (SB 75) Effective July 1, 2019.)